Burglar-alarm.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WINFIELD H. MOODY, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS J. HALSTEAD, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

BURGLAR-A'LARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 701,753, d t d J e 3, 1902. Application filed April 15 1902. Serial No. 102 ,981. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WINFIELD H. MOODY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of; Texas, have invented a new and Improved firing position without detracting from its usefulness and to provide a simple locking device for the hammerwhich may be easily and safely set to hold the hammer cocked and which will permit the device to be carried with comparative safety while the hammer is set-for firing.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a device which will take up but little room and which may be quickly and conveniently applied to a-window'or to a door-frame and readily removed therefrom.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts,

as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accom pan ying:

drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved device applied to a door-frame, showing it set- Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation,

for firing. of the device with the hammer held in firing position, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the upper or hammer-locking section of the device.

All parts of the device are made of metal, and in the construction of the device a body or base barA is provided, and at a point about centrally between the ends of the base or body bar A an arm 10 is outwardly projected, being at right angles to the body or base A for a given distance in its length, the outer end portion of the arm 10 being curved or inclined to stand at an acute angle to the base or body A, and the free end 10 of the arm 10 is enlarged and is provided with a bore 11, extending through from side to side, which bore acts as a barrelto receive a cartridge 12, the rim of which cartridge faces the base or body -bar A.

At the end of the body-bar A nearest the outer end'lO of the arm 10 a locking-plate 13 extends in direction of the outer end of the said arm 10. This locking-plate 13 is at right angles to the body-bar A and at its free or outer end is provided with a longitudinal slot 14, as is best shown in Fig. 3.

A locking T-lever 15 is f ulcrumed upon the outer face of the locking-plate 13 just back of its slot 14:, as is shown also in Fig. 3, and thepivot-pin 16 of this locking-lever 15 extends downward from its shank member a at of them will bridge the slot 14 inthe lockingplate 13 when the shank-section of the T-le- .ver15 is placed at right angles to the said locking-plate, which position is shown in Fig. 13. Thus it will be observed that the device may be used either right or left.

The hammer 18 may have a flatstrikingface {but preferably its striking-face is sharp at its center, being inclined at the center in opposite directions, as is best shown in Fig. 2.

Inconnection with the hammer a spring-lever 'Bis employed. This spring-lever B is made of spring-wire of suitable gage, which wire is bent upon itself to form alower straight member 19, secured in the outer edge portion of the arm 10, preferably where the said arm connects with the body-bar A, as is shown in Fig. 2. The wire is then bent to form a coil or coils 20 and is carried upward from the coil, forming a practically straight member'21 of sufficient length to extend beyond the locking-plate 13, and the position of this straight member 21 is such that said member may be carried into the slot 14 in the said lockingplate. The hammer 18 is secured upon the straight member 21 of the spring-lever B and IOU occupies such position on said member that when the member 21 of the locking-lever is in the slot 14 of the locking-plate the striking-face of the hammer will be normally opposite the flange of the cartridge 12, carried by the barrel-section of the arm 10.

When the device is to be set, the lockinglever 15 is turned so that it will uncover the slot 14 in the locking-plate 13. The straight or hammer-carrying member 21 of the springlever B is then forced into the slot 14 of the locking-plate 13, and the locking-lever 15 is turned until one of its lugs 17 bridges the slot 14,0ccupyin g a position in front of the straight member 21 of the said lever B, and the lever will be held in this position, holding the hammer 18 in firing position by the locking-lever and also by the force which the straight member 21 of the spring-lever B will exert on the bridging-lug of the locking-lever, since the spring-lever B is placed under tension when it is carried to the locking position. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.)

The body-plate A is provided with one or more, usually two, apertures 22, through which nails or screws may be passed to secure the device to a door-frame or upon a windowsash. When the device is to be used in connection with a door D, it is secured to the door-frame O at that side at which the door opens, and the device is placed adjacent to the free vertical edge of the door. When the spring-lever B is locked to hold the hammer in cocked position, the shank a of the locking-lever 15 will extend across the space between the free vertical edge of the door and the door-frame, so that when the door is opened it will strike the projecting member of the locking-lever 15 and remove its lug 17 from its position over the slot 14 in the locking-plate, thus releasing the spring-lever 21, which will return to its normal position at an angle to the body-plate and will carry the hammer 18 in violent contact with the cartridge 12 to explode the same.

When the device is to be used in connection with awindow, the body plate or bar A is secured to the meeting-rail of the upper sash in such manner that the shank member of the locking-lever 15 when the device is set will extend over the space between the meeting-rails of the upper and lower sashes,whereby the locking-lever will be shifted from looking position whenever the upper sash is dropped or the lower sash is raised.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A burglar-alarm, consisting of a body adapted for attachment to a support, an arm extending from the body and provided with a barrel-section to receive a cartridge-shell, a slotted locking-plate at one end of the body, a spring-lever secured at one end to the body, its opposite end extending loosely in front of the barrel-section of said arm, a hammer carried by the free portion of the said springlever, and a locking-lever pivoted upon the locking-plate, having members adapted to bridge the slot in the said plate, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a burglar-alarm, the combination with a body plate or bar, an arm projected from the body plate or bar at a point between its ends, extending for a portion of its length at right angles to the body plate or bar, the outer end of the arm being inclined in direction of one end of the body-plate, the said inclined outer end of the arm having an opening therein to receive a cartridge, and a locking-plate located at that end of the body plate or bar adjacent to the inclined end of the said arm and extending in direction of the inclined end of the arm, said locking-plate being provided with a slot in its outer end, of a spring-lever consisting of a spring-wire secured at one end to the body plate or bar where it connects with the said arm, the said wire having a coil formed therein adjacent to the arm and its opposite end carried at one side of the arm in direction of and above the locking-plate, a hammer secured to the upper member of the said spring-lever, which hammer is adapted to strike the cartridge when in the barrel-section of the said arm, that portion of the springlever above the hammer being adapted in the cocked position of said hammer to enter the slot in the lockin g-plate, and a T-shaped locking-lever pivoted on the locking-plate, the head-section of the said T-lever having lugs at an angle to the head-section, eitherof which lugs is adapted to bridge the slot in the locking-plate, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WINFIELD H. MOODY.

\Vitnesses:

J. E. PEURY, H. V. KNIGHT. 

